The American Practical Navigator: 'Bowditch'

User Review: - A MUST HAVE
If you want to NAVIGATE this is a MUST HAVE. I have the older 2 volume set. This is the bible for navigation. This book should be on every boat that sails coastal or trans-oceantic. Everything you will ever need is in this book. Almost any other navigation book out there is just an abridged version of a chapter or 2 from this complete book. There is so much information in this book that you will never get rid of it. You will always be able to learn more each time you open it. This is the text book for navigation used at the Maritime Colleges. Every professional Merchant Mariner has and uses this book. It has everything you need to pass your USCG Masters licence exams for navigation and more. If you have a boat, you need this book.

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User Review: - Everything you wanted to know about navigation, but were afraid to ask.
A newfound interest in celestial navigation and all things nautical prompted me purchase this book. As far as celestial goes, the book concentrates on sight reduction by tables rather than by calculator or computer. In that respect, it's disappointing. The background chapters for navigation astronomy are pertinent to all forms of sight reduction.

I was also interested in navigational mathematics and "The Sailings". Those subjects are well represented and easy to understand.

The book is physically imposing and the depth of information is astounding. It's divided into sections, so you can cover areas of interest a bit at a time. It's easy to read - for a textbook.

If you enjoy this subject matter, this is one of the "go to" books. It's well worth the money.

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User Review: - Excellent book, excellent buy
Bowditch is the "bible" for nautical navigation. It's a must have for every serious mariner's library. My purchase was listed as used but "like new" and it was indeed like new. I'm very pleased with this purchase.

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User Review: - The Best
The American Practical Navigator remains the best book in its field. Every sailor man should have it.

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User Review: - Classic
The American Practical Navigator has been a classic since the early 1800's. This bicentennial edition not only includes traditional subjects such as tides, celestial, and terrestrial navigation, but also includes electronic navigation.

The book is a must have reference for any serious student of navigation.

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